[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 170 (Thursday, September 2, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53665-53666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19990]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Signature Confirmation Service: Elimination of Signature Waiver 
Option

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This proposed rule provides a change to the Domestic Mail 
Manual (DMMTM ) that would eliminate the signature waiver 
option for Signature ConfirmationTM service under DMM 
S919.1.10. The Postal ServiceTM is proposing this change 
because the signature waiver option is no longer necessary. 
Additionally, this option has caused confusion for customers.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 4, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, Mailing 
Standards, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 3436, 
Washington, DC 20260-3436. Written comments may also be submitted via 
fax to (202) 268-4955. Copies of all written comments will be available 
for inspection and photocopying between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, at the Postal Service Headquarters Library, 475 
L'Enfant Plaza SW., 11th Floor North, Washington, DC 20260.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Lagasse, (202) 268-7269, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Signature Confirmation service provides 
Postal Service customers with information about the date and time a 
mailpiece was delivered and, if delivery was attempted but not 
successful, the date and time of the delivery attempt. A delivery 
record, including the recipient's signature, is maintained by the 
Postal Service and is available to the customer via fax, e-mail, or 
mail, upon request. No acceptance record is kept at the office of 
mailing.
    Signature Confirmation service currently includes a signature 
waiver option that allows the sender to waive the signature requirement 
and accept the Postal Service delivery employee's signature and date of 
delivery as proof of delivery. If a customer selects the signature 
waiver option, the customer is provided only with the date of delivery 
in the delivery record. The signature waiver option is not available 
when Signature Confirmation service is combined with other special 
services.
    Signature waiver was requested initially by Delivery 
ConfirmationTM service mailers that agreed to participate in 
testing the Signature Confirmation service but did not want to 
inconvenience their customers by requiring them to sign for their 
items. Now that Signature Confirmation service is fully implemented and 
widely recognized, the signature waiver feature is no longer necessary.
    By definition, Signature Confirmation service is designed to 
provide a signature. Including an option for waiver of the signature 
for this service can be confusing for customers who wonder why the 
Postal Service would offer a signature service where the signature 
could be waived.
    Therefore, the Postal Service proposes to eliminate the signature 
waiver option for Signature Confirmation service. Customers who do not 
need to obtain a signature but wish to know if their mailpiece was 
delivered would be able to do so using Delivery Confirmation service.
    Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the 
Administrative Procedure Act [5 U.S.C. of 553(b), (c)] regarding 
proposed rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the

[[Page 53666]]

Postal Service invites public comment on the following proposed 
revisions to the Domestic Mail Manual, incorporated in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR). See 39 CFR 111.1.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Postal Service.

PART 111--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 
416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.

    2. Amend the following sections of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 
as set forth below:

Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

* * * * *

S SPECIAL SERVICES

* * * * *

S900 Special Postal Services

S910 Security and Accountability

* * * * *

S919 Signature Confirmation

1.10 BASIC INFORMATION
* * * * *
    [Delete 1.10 in its entirety.]
* * * * *
    We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to 
reflect these changes if the proposal is adopted.

Neva Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 04-19990 Filed 9-1-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P